News: ATDynamics Introduces TrailerTail® Technology for Roll Door Trailers
ATDynamics Introduces TrailerTail® Technology for Roll Door Trailers
Product line to provide fuel savings to trucking companies, supermarkets, big box retailers, express mail carriers and US Postal Service contractors
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA. February 19th, 2012 – ATDynamics, Inc., the largest global supplier of TrailerTail® rear drag aerodynamics technology, announced today that the company is launching a new aerodynamic system for roll door semi-trailers capable of saving the transportation industry $3 billion in fuel over the next decade.
The TrailerTail® Roll, or “RollTail,” will be the first commercially available aerodynamic tail fairing designed specifically for trucking fleets that operate trailers with roll doors rather than swing doors. Over half of the top 10 largest for-hire and private trucking operations in the United States depend on roll door trailers to ship freight. In addition, the US Postal Service requires its contract carriers to utilize roll door trailers for long-haul mail delivery.
Image: ATDynamics TrailerTail® Roll
mounted on Walmart roll door trailer.
© ATDynamics, Inc“We look forward to working with the leading roll door trailer fleets, in addition to our existing swing door trailer customers, to save the industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually,” commented Andrew Smith, CEO and founder of ATDynamics.
Each TrailerTail® Roll will improve tractor-trailer fuel economy by 4-5% at highway speeds by streamlining the airflow at the tail end of the trailer. ATDynamics optimized the technology through comprehensive rolling-road wind tunnel testing at the Automotive Research Center in Indianapolis, IN and through on-road SAE Type II J1321 fuel economy testing.
Over 500,000 roll door trailers are estimated to circulate on US highways, reaching speeds over 40 mph where rear suction drag significantly diminishes vehicle fuel economy.
In addition to fuel savings, the TrailerTail® Roll will increase vehicle safety by reducing spray in wet weather and decreasing trailer instability in high winds.
The patent pending design requires zero driver interaction and can be installed by two people in 45 minutes. The TrailerTail® Roll retracts automatically along the sides and top of the trailer when a trailer is backed into a loading bay and deploys automatically as the vehicle pulls away.
The TrailerTail® Roll will qualify as an EPA Smartway Verified Advanced Rear Fairing and will allow stand-alone compliance with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations for trailer aerodynamics. The device does not impact trailer loading or cube capacity and is compliant with Department of Transportation dimension and visibility requirements.
The technology is available as a retrofit device or for factory installation.
“Compressed freight rates are a continuing challenge to trucking fleets,” said Bren Marshell, ATDynamics Regional Sales Manager. “TrailerTail®s provide an immediate way to reduce costs. The TrailerTail® Roll will save over 6 gallons of fuel for every 1,000 miles a trailer is pulled at highway speed – that’s two to three cents savings per mile.”
ATDynamics is displaying the TrailerTail® Roll at the American Trucking Association’s Technology Maintenance Council’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Tampa, Florida.
Also on display is one of 310 trailers which Spirit Truck Lines of San Juan, TX is equipping with the 2012 TrailerTail® for swing doors. Based on the current rate of TrailerTail® sales, US trucking fleets are on track to deploy over 50,000 TrailerTails® on trailers by 2014.
About ATDynamics, Inc.
ATDynamics is the leading supplier of semi-trailer rear aerodynamics technology in the US. Its flagship rear drag reduction technology, TrailerTail was first released in 2008 and is part of a suite of products engineered to reduce the fuel consumption of the freight transportation industry. Based in South San Francisco, California, ATDynamics is the recipient of numerous innovation awards and is a founding member of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. ATDynamics is an affiliate of the U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership, member of the American Trucking Association's Technology Maintenance Council and plays a key part in the DOE funded Super Truck initiative. For more information http://atdynamics.com
TrailerTail® Roll fuel testing video filmed at Goodyear Proving Grounds © 2012 ATDynamics
Need High-Resolution images? Click here High-Res Images or email us at photos@atdynamics.com
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